


Wrapping Up

by Brightbear



Category: Jonathan Creek (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-21
Updated: 2012-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-21 20:30:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/601766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brightbear/pseuds/Brightbear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maddie's shoulders relaxed a little, the journalistic instinct to push and push and push appeased for the moment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrapping Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seren_ccd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seren_ccd/gifts).



Jonathan contemplated the pile of fabric dubiously. Faded dancing teddy bears fought for space with red eyed clowns, the whole jumble of colours occasionally obscured by an old food stain.  
"You're sure you want to keep this?" he asked again. "I mean, really, really sure?"  
Maddie swung around to face him, the red wine sloshing in her glass almost to the rim. She looked at it again, unable to contain the slight curl of distaste at the edge of her mouth. She gave herself a little shake, straightened, and looked at him with defiant eyes.  
"What's wrong with it?" she demanded.  
Jonathan swallowed the obvious reply, ducking his head as if to hide it even further from view.  
"No, nothing," he said lightly, fighting hard for casual and probably not pulling it off. "It's a... lovely blanket. Charming even."  
He managed a weak smile.

Maddie's shoulders relaxed a little, the journalistic instinct to push and push and push appeased for the moment.  
"Might not be exactly silk sheets but a family heirloom is a family heirloom, isn't it?" mused Maddie. "My mother made it so I have to keep it. Just the way it is."  
"Sure," agreed Jonathan, mentally waving a little flag of truce as hard as he could.

Jonathan picked up the blanket gingerly and began trying to fold it. The material was soft and uncooperative, slipping out of the folds he tried to put into it. He was about to ask Maddie if this was why it had been thrown over the back of an armchair rather than kept folded and safe from food stains in the closet when he heard her sniff. Jonathan looked up quickly but her face was obscured by her wineglass. When Jonathan kept looking at her, waiting for her to lower the glass, she turned away to look around the apartment. Jonathan set the blanket on the armchair of the couch and stepped up beside her. He too looked around the apartment. It was untidy but that was hardly surprising. There were two empty beer cans on the table (Jonathan's) and a red wine bottle (Maddie's) on the otherwise empty kitchen bench. He was a little surprised to see the wine bottle was mostly empty.

"Wait," said Jonathan. "What happened to your microwave?"  
"Hmm?" asked Maddie, lowering her glass in confusion.  
Her eyes were red and damp at the edges.  
"The microwave," repeated Jonathan. "The one you claimed was possessed by the grinch."  
"It worked fine except at Christmas," said Maddie indignantly.  
"Well, if you'll leave the coins in the christmas pudding when you reheat it..."  
Maddie punched him in the shoulder but laughed at the memory. Her eyes brightened and something in Jonathan's chest loosened at the sight. He let out a breath and smiled back at her.

She perched on the edge of the couch, swirling the wine in her glass again and smiling a challenge at him. He pulled over a kitchen chair and settled into it with his arms folded on the seat back. She looked impossibly pleased with herself. It was a look that suited her. It made him want to do something right away but the particulars usually eluded him. Today, however, there seemed to be only one thing to do. He stood up and approached her slowly, her smile widening as he came. He leaned down and kissed her on the chin, using his lips to wipe away the drop of wine left there. He pulled back to look at her.  
"Oi, you," she demanded. "You missed!"  
"Who said I'd finished?" asked Jonathan airily.  
"Well, go on then."  
Jonathan leant forward to kiss the other side of her mouth, then the tip of her nose. Maddie wrinkled her nose.  
"That tickles."  
"Sorry about that," said Jonathan. "Let me make it up to you."

He leant down to kiss her on the lips, soft and gentle. He could feel Maddie's lips curling into a smile. He pulled back to look at her.  
"Well," she said. "Maybe I could forgive you."  
"Only maybe?" asked Jonathan. "I'm sure I can do better than maybe."  
He leant forward again and kissed her. This time he brought up one hand to cup the back of her head and used his other hand to steady the wineglass that was threatening to spill over the couch. She tasted of wine and honey. He pulled away, pressing a final kiss to the tip of her nose.

She huffed at him for that, rubbing her nose in mock offence but her smile returned in blinding force.  
"You're getting better at that," she said fondly.  
"Kissing?" exclaimed Jonathan, momentarily stung.  
"No, idiot, making me feel better."  
"Oh. Well, good."  
"But I can't help noticing that you've stopped packing, though."

Jonathan straightened up again and looked at the half-packed boxes around the room. He looked back at her.  
"So have you," said Jonathan. "You're not packing up."  
"What a thing to say! I'm supervising you," said Maddie cheerfully. "So, chop chop..."  
She waved her wineglass regally at the half-finished room.  
"On it," said Jonathan.

He stepped back to the horribly stained blanket, determined to wrestle it into submission. He managed some kind of rough square and added it to a half-filled box. He paused as he confirmed that the little stub of paper he could feel was the wispy remains of a store-bought tag. It was almost hidden in the blanket's seam and was easy to miss or mistake for a thickened stitch. He looked up at Maddie, who was looking around at her apartment with a touch of melancholy. Her gaze settled on the boxes of belongings that were destined for the verge, since there was no way that the entire apartmentful of belongings were going to fit into Jonathan's lighthouse. He contemplated fleetingly if he should tell her that her family heirloom wasn't homemade after all. Then he just added it to the box of things to take. He decided not to mention it. Just because it wasn't perfect, didn't mean it wasn't special.

**Author's Note:**

> I had trouble getting the two of them to cooperate so I hope you like it. Apologies for the lack of polish.


End file.
